Ah I’ve had a busy year of attending PR events with various tourism boards and it’s been lovely! Read on for some of the most interesting ones so far 😉
Switzerland & Geneva Media Luncheon at the Waterbar, 2019
What a great start to 2019! I had the opportunity to meet with 9 General Managers of Geneva’s top five-star hotels including the manager of Le Richemond at which I had the pleasure of experiencing a stay last year on my way to trek the Tour Du Mont Blanc! Geneva is more than just a business destination and the hotels are top notch – each with its own unique selling point!
A Taste of San Antonio, June 2018
A fun event at the Newhall Nest to take a look at everything new happening in San Antonio throughout the city’s Tricentennial year, as well as the launch of a new direct Southwest Airlines flight between Oakland International Airport and San Antonio International Airport. I had the honor of meeting one of San Antonio’s top chefs, Elizabeth Johnson (who recently cooked at the James Beard House in New York), award-winning San Antonio mixologist, Jeret Peña, and pianist, vocalist, bandleader, and the owner of Jazz, TX, Doc Watkins. They raffled off one fully-hosted trip to San Antonio, including a round-trip ticket from Southwest Airlines! Sadly I didn’t win 😉
Canada Media Marketplace, 2018
If you’ve never attended a Media Marketplace, please sign up for one asap! It’s an incredible event during which you get to meet with various representatives from all the different regions and understand what stories they are interested in for that particular city. It’s a great networking opportunity and can sometimes result in press trips depending on the publication you write for.
Luncheon with Switzerland Tourism April, 2018
This was a fantastic opportunity to meet with different Swiss representatives from cities like Zurich, Bern, Ticino to understand the travel focus for this year and what’s new in each of these destinations.
Invitation by the Nepal Tourism Board for San Francisco Area Journalists and Travel Professionals
Today was an interesting evening where I got to meet folks from the Nepal Tourism Board and sample some delicious Nepalese cuisine. The focus was on how to change the perception of Nepal from just a sports destination to include other categories such as culture, arts, history etc.
Iberia Airlines celebrates first-ever Madrid to SFO direct flight, 2018
On April 25th, Iberia Airlines completed its first non-stop flight from Madrid, Spain to San Francisco, touching down at 4:15 p.m. PT at San Francisco International Airport. I was honored to be a part of the celebration and joined executives from Iberia, the airport and San Francisco Travel to celebrate the flight’s arrival!
Press and Trade Event Rembrandt, 2018
I attended a press and trade event today to learn more about the upcoming Rembrandt exhibition in 2019. It was fascinating to hear about his life, his work, his pupils, his techniques and his city. The event was organized by the Rembrandt House Museum, Rijksmuseum, Ministry of Education, Culture & Science and City of Amsterdam.
Taiwan and Hong Kong – May 2017
I had a terrific opportunity to meet with Ms. Ming-Ling Tsai, Director of Special Task Force for Sustainable Tourism and Industry Academia Cooperation for the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, and Dr. Peter Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board
an exclusive evening reception at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. I met with representatives from Taiwan and Hong Kong’s premier hotels, attractions, and destination management companies to explore what’s new in 2017.
Tourism Ireland – San Francisco 2017
This was a terrific event put together by the Tourism Ireland folks for media to discover what’s new and register for upcoming press trips. The event was at the Westin, St. Francis in San Francisco and included a cocktail reception, presentations and a gourmet Irish supper.
Celebrating the launch of Norwegian Air’s nonstop flight from San Francisco to Copenhagen – May 2, 2017
This week I was grateful to attend a chef tasting prepared by head chef Andreas Bagh, Executive Chef at Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred Marchal restaurant at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Denmark! From the delicious Scallops to the San Francisco Pigeon it was truly a culinary experience! Not to mention the chef and his crew were quite easy on the eye 😉 If you ever get a chance to fly Norwegian, don’t miss it! Check out pics of the pigeon dish here!
Celebrating Virgin Atlantic’s non-stop route from SFO-Manchester – April 20, 2017
Did you know SFO now has a direct route into Manchester? I just got back from a reception at the HM Consul General’s residence where we celebrated this momentous occasion! Find details here.
Wine & Cheese Pairing class with Renaissance Tuscany – February 23, 2017
This was such an awesome experience! I got to meet several journalists and the General Manager from Renaissance Tuscany II Ciocco Resort & Spa this evening! We were part of an intimate wine and cheese pairing class media event and I got to learn all about the various cheeses from the beautiful Serchio Valley. One of the most unexplored areas of Italy, the property is located on a hill overlooking this valley. Imagine activities such as visiting the local market, cooking with the chef, wine tastings, a wind cave and the walled city of Lucca! We spoke about travel, the property and I learnt how to better pair wine and cheeses – it was a ton of fun and hopefully one day I’ll get to visit this part of Italy! Check out my pics on my Twitter feed!
Annual German National Tourist Office West Coast Press Conference – February 22, 2017
This was a wonderful afternoon that started off with a brief cocktail reception that began at noon, followed by sit-down lunch and a news presentation by the tourism board people at Waterbar, located on San Francisco’s very scenic waterfront! I met the new Head of PR, who educated us on 2017 PR themes, including Martin Luther and 500 Years since the Reformation, the art exhibition Documenta 14, the international Garden Festival, the opening of the Elbphilharmonie as well as culinary highlights of Germany! I also got to meet the editors of a few local magazines which was pretty cool!
KLM Pop Up: Media Preview – October 14, 2016
I recently attended an exclusive media preview for Dave’s Travel Corner at the KLM Pop Up in San Francisco where the Dutch Airlines unveiled an interactive pop up to showcase its leading service via virtual reality simulation. Read about my experience here.
